


Smiles are Good for the Soul

by baduntilitsgood



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crushes, Fluff, M/M, maybe a little ooc but idk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-11-28 21:36:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20973437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baduntilitsgood/pseuds/baduntilitsgood
Summary: Zoro's got a crush on this guy at his job. Send help immediately.





	Smiles are Good for the Soul

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah so I really didn't think about this au too much. I didn't think Zoro would do a job like this, so that's why it's his second job.
> 
> *laughs insanely as I post this*

Zoro’s been at this job for almost three months. It’s not his only job and not his first. He was worried he wouldn’t be a good fit, but the kids are surprisingly easy to impress and he doesn’t have to deal with them too often. His official job at this place, which is a kids daycare, is to sit at the front desk and make sure a whole bunch of paperwork get filed and appointments and schedules are logged into the computer. He’s not really that social but he doesn’t have to talk a bunch and it’s easy to be fake in front of people you don’t see very often. It’s also a temporary job, he got it for the extra money and to see if having two jobs was too hard for him, that way he doesn’t have to quit three months out when college starts again and have a three month job on his resume and all that crap. Kuina suggested it, not the job specifically but the idea of a temporary one.

There only one major problem for Zoro. He has a crush on the assistant manager.

It wouldn’t be that bad if it wasn’t that big of a crush. He’s liked guys before, thought they were cute but they’d always turn him off in some kind of way. It was always quick to go away too, the ones that didn’t have terrible personalities turned into a ‘I might like being his friend but not more’ kind of thing. But this? He’s got it super super bad, he has no idea how to end all his pain and suffering but then again, he doesn’t want it to end. Either way he goes about ending his pining might bring him to an even worse reality.

His name is Luffy and Zoro has no idea how the guy got the assistant manager position other than Luffy knows how to talk to people. Really fucking well. Which is part of his dilemma, he can’t tell if Luffy likes him back or just does what he does because he’s the assistant manager and wants to manipulate people into doing things.

Zoro can’t say how many times he’s seen the guy slack off but it’s a lot. If Luffy’s told to do anything other than play with the kids, like prepare meals or activities, Luffy will find absolutely anything else to do. Which includes actual things someone should do but he wasn’t told to do that. Like if he’s told to prepare meals, Luffy would go and clean toys. He doesn’t seem to get in trouble though because he does do the job, eventually.

Zoro was crushless for about a month at this freaking job before Luffy came along and made him smile at random moments in the day. He thought Luffy was cute but didn’t talk to him all that much until their main manager, Nami, was gone for a week and Zoro had to get all his orders from Luffy. And Luffy was really nice about it all, proving he’s not a jackass. Luffy also shared a few jokes that made him laugh and talked with Zoro about their worst coworker. Since then, Luffy’s not gone a day without coming over and teasing him, or saying something really nice. Zoro never knows how to respond. But whatever Luffy said, he was really fucking cute about it.

Sometimes it wasn’t even to tease him but to request something from him, like putting a file away or an appointment into the system. _While_ their manager is there! Those are things the manager would only do before that one week. Eh, but maybe it’s just a coincidence, Zoro finds this one thing easy to logic out of his system. What he can’t get out of his mind is every smile Luffy’s given him since that week. Luffy smiles are unbelievably stunning.

Zoro doesn't know how to describe the feeling he had when Luffy makes him smile but he thinks it's almost like... every time Luffy gets him to smile he feels a little less lonely. Not to say he is, he has friends and a great sister but that's just how it feels. Like when people know what the other is thinking. or maybe like your mental battery as suddenly been recharged.

One time Luffy found Zoro in the breakroom, a rare occasion indeed. Zoro doesn’t usually take breaks. He only has a four hour shift and due to just wanting to work through his four hours and not spend 15 grooling minutes doing nothing, he won’t feel the need or want to take a 15 minute break. No one ever really cares and he doesn’t think his manager notices (otherwise she’d say something). 

Anyway, Luffy found him in the breakroom one day and Zoro was just sitting there texting Kuina about a problem she was having. Zoro didn’t look up, trying to avoid conversation with whoever was there.

Zoro wasn’t listening when he talked and didn’t hear anything but “-Zoro.”

“Huh?” Zoro looked up and shit. It was Luffy. Zoro didn’t really expect that at the time Zoro had already realized he’d gotten a small crush.

“I said, you’re working _really_ hard right now, Zoro.” Luffy said very sarcastically and also with a big goofy grin on his face.

Zoro didn’t get it. And then he did. Luffy’s obviously joking but was he trying to fuck with him too. God that’s so dumb, his stupid smile give him away. The corner of Zoro’s mouth pulled up into a slight smirk, a smile he’s failing to hide. “Shut up.”

“Shishishi, bye Zoro!” Luffy left immediately after that.

Zoro grunted in response. He really isn’t one for words.

Luffy seems to only be able to tease him about how hard he’s working because every once in a while he’ll see Zoro working and Luffy’ll say something along the lines of “Zoro’s not working hard enough” in that sarcastic voice and goofy smile. 

Sometimes though Luffy will praise him, it’s kind of random though. It must just depend on what Luffy’s feeling.

Luffy came to the front of the front desk one day, and didn’t say anything. When Zoro looked up he’s surprised to see Luffy, as he always says his name to get this attention.

“Hi Zoro.” Luffy smiled at him, not his usual toothy grin though. His arms were crossed and settled on the top of the bar of Zoro’s desk.

“Hey.”

“You’re good at working. Just wanted to make sure you know... I’m joking all those times.”

That actually made Zoro smile really big, enough to show his teeth. _Of course, I know._ “...Thanks.”

Luffy’s smile formed into his normal grin again, “See ya.”

“Yeah.”

Luffy’ll tease him about different stuff occasionally but it’s all relatively the same thing. They don’t really talk much but everytime Luffy’s such a goofball and it just forces Zoro to smile. He hates it’s also a really nice feeling.

Another time Nami and Luffy were talking at the front desk as Zoro was leaving. They weren’t there when he grabbed his things and went in the back to clock out. So he just passed them as he walked to the door. 

“Zoroooo,” Luffy whined. “No goodbye, that’s rude.”

Zoro huffed turning back to Luffy to say, “Bye.”

Zoro barely caught a glimpse of Luffy’s grin as Luffy said, “bye” back. Zoro couldn’t stop smiling all the way back to his car. And whenever he fucking thought about it. God having a crush is so annoying.

One time they were low on kidcare staff and Zoro had to help a lot more than he usually does. So when the day was done of course Luffy had something to say. “Zoro!” Luffy called as Zoro was about to walk out the door. “You did a lot of hard work! Great job!”

Zoro just smiled and shook his head. “Yeah, yeah.”

“You did Zoro!” Luffy replied, and then he rolled up the sleeve of his shirt, and flexes his bicep. “You hard worker you!” 

Zoro doesn’t process what he’s seeing for a whole five seconds. He really didn’t expect Luffy to go so hard, and Zoro can’t hold back his burst of a laugh. Zoro smiles at the fucking dweeb as he opens, “Bye Luffy.”

Luffy shines his grin right back at him, “Bye Zoro!”

So all these small moments keep happening but his dilemma? Zoro has too many. He doesn’t actually know Luffy and what if they actually date and Luffy hates everything about him? What if he doesn’t like Luffy? What if they have wildly different views? No matter the pain, the way having this crush on Luffy makes him happy is honesty worth more. One top of that, Luffy can’t possibly like him back. It totally has to be about Luffy being the assistant manager, you know he’s just trying to manipulate Zoro. Also, Zoro doesn’t know how to talk to people for shit and Luffy? Luffy KNOWS how to talk to people, he’s seen it. Why would Luffy want him when he can barely talk to him? Does Luffy even like guys? Fuck.

Zoro’s got 5 days before this job ends and he HAS to figure out what he’s going too. Does he ask Luffy out? Does he tell Luffy about his crush and see if Luffy feels the same? No that would be way to embarrassing. He could ask Luffy to be friends but… he really does want more than that? Maybe he could tell Luffy he at least wants to be friends but what he wants to do is take Luffy on a date?

The day before his last day, Zoro still doesn’t know what to do. He thought it over and he knows he’s just gonna wait for the last day because if he does it any earlier and Luffy doesn’t want any of that, Zoro doesn’t want to deal with an incredibly awkward last day.

He’s walking to his car, still thinking of what he should do tomorrow-

“Zoro?!” Luffy calls, “Zoro wait!”

Zoro abruptly stops in his tracks, and turns around at his name. “What is it?”

Luffy runs up to catch up. He looks worried, “God I thought you were gone already.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Your last day is tomorrow right?”

“Yeah?”

“I needed to ask you something?”

“Couldn’t it wait for tomorrow?” _God that’s stupid_, Zoro thinks. _Just let him talk._

“No, I’m not here tomorrow.”

_Shit_ “You aren’t?” Zoro hopes his face doesn’t show how disappointed he is.

“Go on a date with me, Zoro?” Luffy asks. Zoro’s brain has stopped working. “I really like you. I don’t know if you like me too but if you don’t--”

“I like you.” Zoro felt like his face was on fire, but he couldn’t help how big his smile was.

An extremely bright smile spread across Luffy, “You do?”

Zoro had to look down in order to calm himself, in anyway. Looking at the blinding smile just got his heart racing, “Yeah.” 

“So you’ll go on a date with me?” Zoro looked back up at Luffy who was still smiling so brightly, he felt like his heart would burst. This crush on Luffy was really fucking bad.

Zoro nodded, finding it hard to talk with how happy and relieved he was. “Of course.”

Luffy happily gave him his number and asked him when he was free. Then, Luffy said when he’d pick him up and Zoro told him where he could pick him up. It was kinda hard to say goodbye to Luffy. Really hard actually. It was kind of his last day, Luffy made it really enjoyable, but now he can look forward to their date despite his fears. They just kept saying bye to each other through wide smiles until Luffy told him to go home.

**Author's Note:**

> So, yeah I basically wrote this to get some feelings out of my system. Because... there's this guy at my job and he does a lot of what Luffy does here (except the last part) but I didn't want to write everything you know? so... yeaaaaah. (that's why I "laughed insanely" while posting this, also he kinda makes my me insane and I can't deal with anything he fucking does, Zoro here? much more put together than I.) (edit: I NEED TO WRITE ANOTHER ONE OF THESE IVE GOT MORE MATERIAL IVE RANTED TO SOOOOO MANY PEOPLE ABOUT THIS)
> 
> Hope he 1. doesn't ever find this. 2. doesn't have a girlfriend
> 
> everything from here on out (if there is a here on out) will be complete fiction and will be Luffy and Zoro, I don't care to be COMPLETELY living vicariously through them.
> 
> And yes, I am working on my other fic. Thank you for reading.
> 
> twitter: @zoroswtybandana
> 
> edit: he... he has a girlfriend and I'm really sad about this.... so if you like this fic ya better save it because some night I'm not gonna be able to deal with this being here and delete it... or orphan it. I could orphan it huh. might do that.


End file.
